Most endangered national refuges list is released

Conservation group sees common threats; half in West

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Suspected undocumented immigrants are detained inside the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. A conservation group said human pressures on the refuge made it one of the 10 most endangered in the country.

TUCSON, Ariz. — A sweeping wildlife preserve in southwestern Arizona is among the nation’s 10 most endangered refuges, due in large part to illegal drug and immigrant traffic and Border Patrol operations, a conservation group said Friday.

The Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, home to the endangered Sonoran pronghorn, has been damaged by excessive human presence, according to a report by Defenders of Wildlife. The report calls for construction of a vehicle barrier on the southern edge of the refuge along the Mexican border.

“We’re trying to highlight the fact how special this place is, but it’s also at a crossroads,” said Noah Matson, a Defenders of Wildlife director in Washington who wrote “Refuges at Risk: America’s Ten Most Endangered National Wildlife Refuges 2004.”

'Band-Aid' helpArizona has become the nation’s busiest entry point for illegal immigrants from Mexico. High-speed off-road chases, abandoned vehicles and damage to fragile desert landscapes have resulted. In 2001, Cabeza became the site of Arizona’s deadliest border crossing, when 14 people died after temperatures soared to 115 degrees.

“In an attempt to curb illegal border crossings and prevent further deaths, border officials have established permanent camps in the refuge, incongruous with this once-pristine and remote place, but reflecting the intensity of the problem,” the report said.

A call to the Border Patrol office in Tucson was not immediately returned Friday.

Roger Di Rosa, Cabeza Prieta’s manager, said the report is right about the threat to the refuge. Officials estimate the population of Sonoran pronghorns at 30 to 40 animals at most.

“The border issue is convoluted, and very complex,” he said. “The solution to the border problems is not on the border; it’s in Washington, D.C., and Mexico City. So we’re just putting a Band-Aid on the wound to stanch the blood. It’s a difficult situation.”

Common threats on top 10 listThe 10 wildlife preserves cited Friday face some common threats, including nearby development, pollution and invasive species, according to the report. Escalating industrial and corporate development close to and even inside refuges is the most pervasive threat, now that about three dozen refuges have more than 1,800 active oil and gas wells, the report said.